Triton wins first men's basketball title
No. 1 Triton took down Pima 89-85 to win its first men's basketball national championship.
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | #2 Pima | #1 Triton |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-68) | (28-61) |
| Field Goal % | 39.7% | 45.9% |
| Rebounds | 34 | 46 |
| Assists | 16 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 20 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 18 | 17 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 21 |
| Pts in the Paint | 22 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 21 | 29 |
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTOS | AWARDS
Danville, Ill. – In the 2018 NJCAA DII Men's Basketball Championship, No. 1 Triton (IL) downed No. 2 Pima (AZ) 89-85 in a high scoring affair to capture its first men's basketball championship in program history. The Trojans' last national title came in 1997 in wrestling.
Entering the championship finale versus the Aztecs, Triton averaged a 27.3 margin of victory throughout the tournament while Pima entered the contest averaging 104.3 points in its first three national tournament games.
The Trojans used a strong first half to build a 39-26 lead over Pima at intermission, but the Aztecs responded to start the second half. Pima's offense came to life with a 59-point second frame, but the Triton offense continued to thrive with 50 points themselves to hold off Pima 89-85 and capture its first national championship.
- Five players from Triton scored in double-figures with Alondes Williams pacing the group with 22 points. Two other starters, tournament MVP Deonta Terrell and Najee Brown-Henderson tallied 15 and 16 points, respectively. Devin Blake and Martrell Barnes powered the Troijans off the bench with 13 and 11 points. Blake also reached double-digits in rebounds with 11 for the only double-double for Triton.
- Triton shot 45.9 percent from the field, as they connected on 28 of 61 shots in the title game.
- Terrell reached double-figure scoring in all four tournament games with totals of 10, 11, 17, and 15 points to average 13.2 points for the tournament.
- Triton now has five national championships total in its program's history.
- The Trojans cap its championship season campaign with a 33-4 record and a 90.5 points per game scoring average.
- Pima finished the season with a 31-5 record and averaged 102.4 points per game, the top mark in the nation.
- Southwestern (IA), the defending national champions, defeated Delta 95-81 to finish third in the tournament.
- Arkansas State Mid-South edged Erie (NY) 72-71 in the fifth place final and Cuyahoga (OH) topped Grand Rapids (MI) 105-50 to seal a seventh place finish.
The Triton College Trojans are your NJCAA DII Men's Basketball National Champions!! #NJCAAHoops @TritonTrojans1 pic.twitter.com/s6E2sv6S5G
— NJCAA TV (@NJCAATV) March 25, 2018
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